Wednesday, November 07, 2012

Book Review: THE COUNTESS by Rebecca Johns

A compelling case would be a gross understatement. “The
Countess” tells Elizabeth Bathory’s side of the story like no one else can;
from her own mouth she will tell you the truth. This novel brings to light a
whole new prospective, a very unexpected one that will leave you aching to do
your own research on histories most notorious woman serial killer. Elizabeth in the past has been made out to be
one of the darkest characters. I also heard that The Brothers Grimm was so
compelled by Elizabeth and her wicked ways that they based the Evil Queen in
Snow White after her. This book is different from the stereotypical stories of
Elizabeth. In this one it explores the fact that maybe just maybe a woman who
becomes so powerful in her own right that everyone might turn on her like a
pack of jackals in the jungle. They all had their motives but was Elizabeth really
that bloody thirsty maniac in a corset or a woman that needed to be brought to
head because she could undo everything the men did not want her to be a part
of. After all men ruled the world and
women too back then.

Elizabeth Bathory lived a privileged life from the
beginning. Her parents were both of the highborn nobility of Hungary. Just like
the norm of the times she was married off you to a rich heir, Ference Nadasdy.
She was sent to Ference’s household years before the actual wedding as per
request of Elizabeth’s future mother in law. She was to learn the Nadasdy way
of running a household. After Ference and Elizabeth’s wedding the previously strained
relationship did not get any better. It was noticeable even by the servants
that their relationship was defiantly not all blushing roses. The couple
finally had a breakthrough. By chance the two had bonded over the punishment of
the servants. Violence reared it ugly beginning here. But it was able to break
down Elizabeth and Ference walls and they became a real husband and wife to
each other. Life took a very positive turn at that moment. Their relationship blossomed
and they added three girls and two boys to the family household.

It came across to me that Elizabeth’s cruelty to her servant
girls started out as a kind of legitimate thing. There is a reason why they
still use the saying “medieval punishment”. It was not exactly backed by human
rights groups back then. I fear as things rapidly spiraled out of control when
Elizabeth lost Ference. It was very suddenly that he passed and she had not
made plans for a life with out him. Twenty-nine years of marriage had taken a
toll on Elizabeth and she was not exactly young anymore. She was nearing her
fifties and Ference had wished for her to remarry. Not just to anyone but his
closest boon companion Gyorgy Thurzo.

Elizabeth did pursue Thurzo but she also attempted to
collect a very large debt she inherited from her husband. At the time she
thought she was doing the right thing but all it did was bring attention to her.
She found her relationship with Thurzo satisfying. But her continued
confrontations with her ladies and servants were escalating even more on a
daily basis. Elizabeth’s life was
intense and living as a strong independent widow in a world ruled by men she
was an anomaly. The bad part for her was
many of them were in debt to her. Elizabeth was cruel but it was a cruel world
and she just wanted to survive it.

4.5/5 Really compelling it really opened my eyes to maybe
there be another side of this monster of history. I dare anyone not to read
this book and not look it up on the Internet when you are done. The only other
book I can remotely relate this one to is “The Last Queen” by C.W. Gortner.
This book really was not as violent as I thought it would be but it does have a
few nasty scenes. I would highly recommend this book on Elizabeth Bathory because it is an excellent take on an old
story that maybe we all miss understood…or maybe it is all the delusions of a
demented violent woman.